He stepped forward, reached out and grasped the hilt of the short sword, and pulled hard, but the blade didn't budge. The dummy's fingers were clenched tightly, as if nailed there.
And it was quite tight. Herman thought for a moment and suddenly realized that if the sword on the dummy was used to practice the Disarming Charm, then it would make sense.
The Disarming Charm is a method of taking a weapon from an opponent. Since the object in the dummy's hand cannot be pulled out, it can be used to practice the Disarming Charm. Perhaps, to prevent students from using the Levitation Charm to cheat, a Counter Charm was even set on it.
Herman's gaze fell on the short sword, and a thought suddenly flashed through his mind: if he could integrate the principle of the Disarming Charm into his telekinetic ability, he could simply reach out and pull away the wand of others when they were casting spells.
He continued to think, if the Disarming Charm could be incorporated, what about the Fiendfyre?
If he could manipulate the flames into a vortex-like shape using his telekinesis, he might be able to create some kind of firestorm.
Of course, this idea is probably several levels above his current strength. Spells like Fiendfyre can only be used proficiently by Full Wizard, and he estimates that he needs to reach that level before he can even think about adding it to his abilities.
But the direction should be right: to integrate the principles of various spells into one's innate ability, and to continuously optimize and expand it.
Herman leaned against the wall, staring at the sword that he couldn't pull out for a while, feeling that the thoughts in his mind were much clearer than before.
He didn't continue practicing; his magic power was almost exhausted, and continuing would just be a matter of forcing himself to keep going.
He walked to the wall and sat down again, opening the introductory Introduction to Alchemy Marlene had given him. He rested while flipping through it, planning to return to the common room once his magic had recovered somewhat.
After all, there are still some children there who need to be properly educated.
When Herman emerged from the Room of Requirement, the light in the corridor had turned a dim yellow, and the high window panes sliced the last rays of the setting sun into thin strips of light that spread across the stone floor.
He tucked the Introduction to Alchemy under his arm and walked down the stairs to the castle's underground section. When he pushed open the stone door to the Slytherin Common Room, the lights were already on, and the silvery-blue flames flickered in the fireplace, illuminating the entire room with a cool, bright glow.
The common room was much more crowded than usual, and the couples with special interests were gone; it was mostly filled with male students, most of whom were eyeing the door with predatory intent.
Draco sat on the dark green sofa against the wall, her expression clearly anxious, and was giving instructions to Crabbe and Goyle, who were eating pies next to her.
The two nodded as they ate, but it was unclear how much they actually took in.
Harry sat in an armchair on the other side, casually flipping through a black-covered book, looking no different than usual.
More people sat on the other side. The two men and one woman at the front were probably the leader of the people who made the threats in the afternoon. They were relaxed, but their eyes were always fixed on the door.
Nott family's son sat in the middle, next to a senior student named Flint, names Herman knew from Harry's notes.
There was also another person named Herman whose name she couldn't recall, and who didn't seem to be there to chat.
The three people stood up simultaneously the moment they saw Herman enter, and the students sitting behind them immediately followed suit, as if they had rehearsed it.
Herman didn't stop walking; he continued forward.
Draco stood up from the sofa and spoke first, "He's my friend, talk to me if you need anything."
As soon as Draco spoke, some students slowed down, hesitant about whether to continue.
The Nott family son glanced at her sideways, his tone neither warm nor cold. " Miss Malfoy, your father can't control everyone."
The Flint student next to him chimed in even faster, his voice laced with mockery. "Besides, your friend was disliked from the very beginning when he entered Slytherin. A Mudblood infiltrated the whole place, and now it's time he understood that Slytherin doesn't accept just anyone."
Harry watched the performance with great interest, even writing something in her notebook.
Herman stopped in his tracks when he heard the word " Mudblood ".
The Mudblood" might not mean much to the average person when viewed literally, but if translated into proper Chinese, its insulting nature becomes clear. It would likely be translated as something like "bastard" or even more offensive words to express its malice.
Herman stopped, placed the book he was holding on the table next to him, then turned around to face the three people, his face expressionless.
Just as Draco was about to speak again, Herman raised his hand to signal her not to speak, then looked at the three people opposite him, his tone not harsh but clear. "Have you finished your nonsense?"
He paused for a moment and added, " George and Fred are absolutely right about one thing: you guys really do think with your asses, since you don't have brains."
When those words were spoken, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Nott family's son's expression changed, Flint's expression became even more unpleasant, and the girl immediately drew her wand.
Three beams of light flew from the opposite side almost simultaneously—one green, one red, and one dark yellow—in different directions but all heading towards Herman's position.
Herman reacted faster than he expected, indicating that the afternoon training had been effective and the warm-up had been very good. He instinctively shifted to the side, and at the same time, his left hand was already raised.
With a burst of magic, the bronze coffee table next to the fireplace flew up and landed in front of him. Three beams of light struck the bronze surface with a crackling sound, then shattered into several streaks of light after being deflected.
The coffee table fell back to the ground, with a small burn mark on the edge, but it didn't hurt the person behind it.
Before the opposing side could unleash a second wave, Herman had already raised his hand, and the long carpet beneath his feet seemed to come alive, flipping up from the ground and pounced towards the three people, kicking up a layer of dust.
The carpet lost its original shape halfway through the flight; the magic of Transfiguration spread along its fiber edges, the fabric was stretched and compressed, and the edges became hard and thin, like an open blade of cloth slapping across.
Nott family's son didn't have time to dodge; he was struck in the chest by the edge of the carpet and fell backward, his back hitting the sofa armrest with a dull thud.
Flint tried to block with his wand, but the edge of the carpet brushed against his wrist, sending the wand flying out of his hand. It bounced twice against the wall before landing.
Another girl, her ankles caught in the hem of the carpet, lost her balance and fell to the side, landing in the armchair next to her, her hair disheveled.
The whole process took less than ten seconds. The carpet spun in the air before falling back to the ground, returning to its original shape and landing next to the table leg, as if nothing had happened.
But Nott family's son clearly wasn't going to let it end there. He propped himself up on the sofa, gritted his teeth, and waved his hand. "Attack together!"